A troubled Mumbai surveillance center operator ditches police protocol and begins to independently investigate incidents happening on her watch. “PRIVACY” (2023): Exposing the Wrong Done to Our Inherent Right Film Preview/Review by John Smistad Privacy is a human privilege. Appreciated. Coveted. Precious to us all. And yet it would seem that … [Read More]
Emily (Aubrey Plaza) is saddled with student debt and locked out of the job market due to a minor criminal record. Desperate for income, she takes a sketchy gig as a “dummy shopper,” buying goods with stolen credit cards supplied by a handsome and charismatic middleman named Youcef (Theo Rossi). … [Read More]
After being released on parole, a burglar (Dustin Hoffman) attempts to go straight, get a regular job, and “play by the rules”. He soon finds himself back in jail at the hands of a power-hungry parole officer. When he is released again, he assaults the parole officer, steals his car, … [Read More]
The Stranger tells the story of an Australian undercover cop who develops an intense, intimate relationship with a child murder suspect while trying to earn his trust and elicit a confession. It takes a heavy toll. “The Stranger” (2022): Investigating the depths of evil Film Review by John Smistad The Australian … [Read More]
The 2014 horror mystery “It Follows” is one of the most unsettling movie experiences of my life. What is It? And why does it Follow? These questions are never definitively answered. And in it’s truly creepy and weird wake “It Follows” leaves us with a chilling feeling of uncertainty. Dispensing a Double Dose of MAIKA: … [Read More]
COMING HOME IN THE DARK Review Synopsis A teacher is forced to confront a secret from his past when a pair of ruthless drifters take his family on a nightmare road-trip. John Smistad’s Review Good vs. Evil. Okay, not so good. But evil as all hell. A school teacher and … [Read More]
Synopsis Director: Randall Okita Starring: Skyler Davenport, Kim Coates and Jessica Parker Kennedy From: IFC Films A group of thieves break into the luxurious, secluded mansion. Inside, Sophie is house-sitting. The visually impaired former skier soon must rely completely upon Kelly, an army veteran living across the country, to help … [Read More]
Synopsis “The Guilty” takes place over the course of a single morning in a Los Angeles 911 dispatch call center. Operator Joe Baylor (Jake Gyllenhaal) struggles to save a caller in grave danger. He soon discovers that nothing is as it seems, and that facing the truth is the only … [Read More]
Synopsis A family vacation takes a terrifying turn when parents Paul and Wendy discover their young daughter has vanished without a trace. Stopping at nothing to find her, the search for the truth leads to a shocking revelation in this psychological thriller. The Good Nothing. Not one damn thing. Okay. … [Read More]
Evil has infected a vast and forested remote Texas ranch. Into this crucible enter a father, son and uncle. What follows is terrifying. Thus is the sinister and multi-layered parable presented us in the new domestic crime thriller “Whitetail”. I spoke with writer/director Derek Presley. Having grown up in, and lived … [Read More]
A drug trafficker arranges a multi-cartel Fentanyl smuggling operation. An architect recovering from an Oxycodone addiction tracks down the truth behind her son’s disappearance. A university professor battles unexpected revelations about his employer, a pharmaceutical company bringing a new “non-addictive” painkiller to market. Set against the backdrop of the opioid … [Read More]
Cold Harbour Directed by Carey McKenzie and produced by Tendeka Matatu Cast: Tony Kgoroge, Fana Mokoena, Yu Nan, Deon Lotz, Thomas Gumede and Zolani Mahola. The mutilated body of a Chinese man washes up on a Cape Town beach. For township cop SIZWE MIYA (Kgoroge), this is an opportunity to … [Read More]